1 Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a pocket tool composed of an oblong tool body serving as the handle and incorporating a storage compartment for operational elements which can be extended from the handle into their operating position.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Comparable pocket tools are known in the art. For instance, they are extant in the form of pocket knives consisting of two mutually facing handle half-shells between which one or several operational elements such as knife blades, corkscrews, screwdrivers and other tools are positioned in extendable fashion, essentially held in the extended or retracted position by the action of a spring. Utensils of that nature have been on the market in the most diverse forms and designs. In most cases, the operational elements such as knife blades, can openers, nail files corkscrews and the like are swivel-mounted on rivets to tilt in and out. There are also pocket knives which additionally include operational elements in the form of various tools, for instance different sizes of flat-blade and Philips screwdrivers or hex-head spanners and socket wrenches. These operational elements are sandwiched between parallel jackplates which are connected via rivets and of which the two outermost plates are covered with handle half-shells. These half-shells serve to give the utensil the appearance of a pocket knife while providing an ergonomic feel and a good grip. Some designs also include channels in the outer shell in which such items as toothpicks, tweezers or cleaning pins for windshield washer jets can be inserted.
Equipping pocket knives with operational accessories for the most diverse purposes even goes as far as combining a traditional jackknife with a writing pen. Pocket knives of that kind involve complex assembly which is reflected in high manufacturing costs.
Conventional pocket tools and in particular jackknives typically feature laterally extendable operational elements which partly protrude from the side of the housing and, traditionally, can be grasped with the fingertips. They tilt against the pressure of a spring which holds them in place both in the retracted carrying or storage position and in the extended operating position. This locking function, provided by the spring action of the resilient components, is not controllable. It can therefore happen that during their use the operational elements snap shut accidentally. Also, over time, the springs are subject to fatigue which is in itself an undesirable phenomenon. Another drawback of tiltable operational elements lies in the fact that they typically swivel around one axis so that they can absorb only limited torsional forces. Some other operational elements are removably plugged into slots in the outer shells or in the tool body proper. Typically, pocket utensils are designed for various universal functions and rarely for specific single-purpose applications since that would not be cost-effective. Most notably, there are no pocket tools with interchangeable operational elements employable for multiple functions in the realm of electrical devices, especially for computer equipment.
In view of such prior art, this invention is aimed at providing a pocket tool generically along the line mentioned above but equipped with various operational elements employable for different purposes in electrical equipment engineering and especially in the field of computer technology, a tool which is inexpensive to manufacture and easy to use.
In particular, this is to be a tool the operational elements of which are capable of absorbing at least the usual measure of leverage and torsional forces. It is also intended to permit improved control of the positional retention forces in both the carrying and especially the operational positions.
To that effect, the technical solution lies in an enhanced pocket tool concept whereby the body unit is designed both for mounting and for storing tool bits.
A bit holder, preferably pivotable, includes a shaft one end of which is designed to accept a bit while the other end is the swivel-mounting section. That swivel-mounting section is preferably offset relative to the central longitudinal axis of the shaft. This angled design offers a number of advantages. For one, lateral tilting of the shaft into the tool body leaves room for a storage compartment. For another, in the extended position of the bit holder shaft its central longitudinal axis is offset from and extends parallel to the central longitudinal axis of the tool body. That allows for excellent leverage while the flat design of the swivel-mounting section is capable of transferring to the tool body much of the torsional force, i.e., it can absorb a substantial measure of torsional forces. The swivel-mounting section is provided with cams and moves along the guide track of a spring. The spring on its part has detents, so that especially in the tilted-out operating position of the bit holder, the cams in its swivel-mounting section engage the detents. This substantially enhances the positional locking power in both the tilted-in, i.e., retracted, and in the tilted-out operating position. This design approach permits the use even of weak springs. According to the invention, short springs may be used which extend over only part of the length of the tool body. Compared to conventional springs, a length reduction of 30% to 50% is possible. The spring is preferably provided with a spring bolt to increase its strength.
The bit end of the wrench or bit holder features at least two different-sized hexagonal sockets, one axially behind the other. One serves to accept the bits, the other may be used for instance for certain types of nuts, hex-head screws or the like. In computer technology, for one example, D-SUB connectors are used with a particular type of female screws. According to an especially advantageous embodiment of this invention, the bits are double-ended.
The storage compartment in the pocket tool is preferably constituted of cutouts in the panels, meaning the functional jackplates and the intermediate plates. Preferably, a tilt-out bit cartridge is housed in the storage compartment. According to one desirable concept of this invention, the bits are double-ended, i.e., they have working tips at both ends.
The pocket tool is preferably equipped with multiple operational elements such as one or two knife blades, different sizes of flat-head screwdrivers, for instance 1{fraction (1/2,)} 3 and 6 mm wide, perhaps a pair of pliers, a wire cutter, a crimping tool, scissors, a cap remover, a wire stripper, a can opener, tweezers, etc. The bit cartridge is preferably designed to hold up to four single- or double-ended bits most commonly used on electrical appliances, computers, games and the like. Typically they are so-called Posidrive, Torx, Philips, socket and Allen bits. A multi-purpose pocket tool of this type saves space, is light-weight, yet absolutely serves its intended purpose.
Between the spring and the swivel-mounting section of the bit holder shaft, impact or pressure surfaces extend at an oblique angle relative to the axial center line of the pocket tool. These surfaces, sloped at a 20xc2x0 to 40xc2x0 angle, permit the use of small or weak springs. In addition, configuring the swivel-mounting section and the guide track of the spring as a paired, matching cam and detent combination causes the corresponding cam to snap into a cam detent or recess when in its end position, producing the necessary locking strength especially in its operational position.
This cam-and-detent combination can also be used for the other operational elements.
Overall, this invention provides a space- and weight-reducing, functionally effective tool set which is particularly useful for working on computer equipment.
Other advantages and features of this invention are outlined in the following description with the aid of the accompanying drawings.